


Searching for Atlantis

by nirvanaflames (orphan_account)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AoKuro Week 2016, Aomine Daiki - Freeform, M/M, Seirin Kuroko, Teiko Kuroko, Time (as an entity), metaphorical i guess ye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 04:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6838615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/nirvanaflames
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kuroko bargains with Time to put Aomine back together. In reality, he meant to put himself together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Searching for Atlantis

_First shot: feel it out blindly. That’s all I can do._

In what was a moment of striking despair and impulsive rationale, Kuroko found himself standing in front of his old middle school on a certain evening.

The ground at his feet seemed to spin and stretch, ready to pull his ankles and send him into a fit of stumbles, and maybe this hovering blanket of darkness would swallow him wholly. His feet were already taking him to his destination before his mind could even process what it was he was searching for.

The lights of a familiar gymnasium found its way through the propped open door. He could hear the squeaking of shoes coming to a fast halt only to suddenly twist and turn in another direction. He remembered these nights all too well. What were initially practice nights alone became duo practices with Aomine, the Aomine who shined with an admirable vibrancy for basketball.

Kuroko hid his body behind the other half of the door that remained closed. He snuck a look into the gym, taking the appearance of a shy admirer, and watched Aomine dribble effortlessly across the court and leap into the air. Effortlessly was what Aomine seemed like to the eye, but Kuroko knew better than that. The Aomine he was currently observing was not an enemy to effort and vigor, not yet.

When he heard footsteps nearing, he hurried away and took refuge behind the gym’s wall as he then shrunk onto his knees. He could see the faint blue hair in the dark and when the person stepped into the beam of light, he rose to take action.

After all, it wasn’t like he returned to Teiko for no good reason. He was here to stop himself.

But his feet could not move. Did not move.

He stood in the shadows and simply let Kuroko enter the gym. Only then did he force himself to creep closer to the entrance again.

“You’re late, Tetsu.”

“I had to get the keys from coach.”

“Oh, you locking up tonight?”

“You should know that by now, Aomine-kun. I always lock up on my practice nights.”

The sound of the ball hitting the floor sounded heavier than it ever did to the Kuroko who stood outside.

“Anyways, put your stuff down. Let’s go for a one-on-one. You need some practice and I need someone to play against.”

Kuroko felt a smile crawl its way to his mouth. He didn’t need to look to know that all three of them were smiling. He remembered this scene exactly. The memory had never faded from his mind. He was smiling and Aomine, still dressed in his practice gear, stood under the hoop with a grin.

In a moment, Kuroko would say how glad he was to be able to play with Aomine.

“I’m glad Aomine-kun settled for a player like me.”

“Geez, Tetsu, you really make yourself sound horrible at basketball, y’know?”

And so Kuroko backed away from the door, slowly taking steps backwards before he spun around on his heels and bolted away. He always had a soft spot for those with such an intense love for basketball, and perhaps that could be a reason for his failure to stop himself tonight.

One shot gone to waste. He would have to save himself at a different moment for Time had let out a high-pitched screech that rang in his ears, marking his mind with its echoes.

Time was ticking, counting down what he had left.

.

_Second shot: Phone call. Delete this conversation and restart. I should._

_._

The second time Kuroko went back to the past, he ended up on a bench at night with his phone pressed to his ear. It didn’t take him long to understand the situation.

All he needed to hear was one word from that voice.

Ogiwara sighed. “…Your ace is playing hooky, huh.”

Kuroko leaned forward, pressing his elbows to his knees. “What do you think about it?”

“I don’t really know…It’s quite complicated…why did you ask me?”

Kuroko could distinguish the nervousness in Ogiwara’s tone. The thing was he didn’t understand Aomine either. All he knew was that he was concerned, but really, he should have ended the phone call. He knew what was going to happen.

“Well,” Ogiwara said, stretching the word with a pensive feel. “I don’t know all the specifics but from what I’ve heard it seems to be a different situation than with Haizaki. I don’t think he’s come to hate basketball, right?”

Kuroko could feel the biting unease dissipate at the utterance of these words. He knew what Ogiwara was going to say next and yet he still felt himself growing an abundance of hopeful anticipation.

“Rather, I think he loves it more than anyone, so, why do you think he doesn’t come to training?”

Kuroko stuck to his lines, repeating what he had said years ago during this conversation. “What do you mean…?”

“It’s a lead to his reason for skipping! I’d said this is quite obvious!”

Kuroko leaned back against the bench and stared at parts of the sky. He couldn’t see much from his location because of bright city billboards and the shadowy trees expanded over his head. All of it together created a confusing fusion of darkness and light with grey middle tones in between. If he looked attentively enough, he could spot the grey.

“Until now, how many times has he helped you?” Ogiwara asked.

A rhetorical question, really.

Kuroko shut his eyes, letting his head tip over the top edge of the bench. He really shouldn’t be doing this, letting himself relapse into this cycle again, investing more of himself to Aomine. What did he really want if he wasn’t going to change his path?

Ogiwara proceeded. “This time, it’s your time to help him. That’s what you should do as his teammate.”

Kuroko knew he shouldn’t have taken those words to heart. After all, it was those words that gave him all the more strength to reach out to Aomine. It was those words fastened with his own beliefs that led him to chase after Aomine on that rainy day and he still pursued relentlessly during high school, thinking that one day he could get to Aomine. One day, he would see that smile on Aomine’s face.

One day. But one day was too far, and too painful and consuming. Kuroko would rather give it up, give away everything to clean himself of this pain.

And that was why he bargained with Time.

Another shot to change his path.

Now, with the second shrill screeching, Time marked the end of his second shot- another failure to alter his path.

 .

_Third shot: these emotions I feel are fleeting just like the Sakura petals so best to think twice. A thank you to Teiko._

_._

Kuroko spent his final shot re-attending his graduation. For what reason? He wasn’t sure. Maybe there was more than one reason for his return to this moment. Instincts. Savoring and reminiscing, moping perhaps, or maybe he finally gathered the strength to seriously leave Aomine behind and alter his path for good.

He didn’t see any of his teammates after the ceremony. As he left school grounds, he came to terms with a decision. He would forget Aomine, basketball, and all the things he fought for. With the help of Time, he would toss these things away, slowly let go of it, and build himself a new life.

He eventually arrived at a four way stop, the one Time had informed him about. “If you settle for alteration of your current path, turn left or right; either route will take you to the destination you want, except that each path differs in the process of arrival. If you wish to make no changes, cross the road and proceed forward.”

Kuroko looked over at the looming Sakura tree. He had a feeling he had once been at this cross stop with someone before, but the person from his memory was unintelligible and the memory itself was quite vague.

“It’s our turn to cross. Are you going to cross?” someone asked, turning around to look at Kuroko who was too engrossed in his thoughts as he gazed at the tree.

Kuroko turned to look at the person and caught his breath at the shock of seeing himself standing before him. He didn’t know how to handle this situation. Time had never gone over a situation like this. Time merely told him that he had three tries to alter his path and that he could do anything he wanted to in order to achieve his goal.

Teiko Kuroko now stood on the other side of the crossroad. “I’ve read a few light novels that make mentions of time travellers. Some of them tie it into fate, but I don’t know what to make of those kinds of situations.”

Kuroko kept his silence, eyes flitting to his left and right. He could just make a turn. Time did say either route led him to the same end goal- an altered path with no Aomine, no basketball, and no more pain. It shouldn’t make too much of a difference.

But then a new thought dawned upon him as he glanced behind. What if he regressed? What would happen then? Was that not an option?

Before he could ponder anymore, Teiko Kuroko spoke again. “I don’t know why you’re here, but you must be here for a reason.”

Kuroko looked back at himself. If he said something, would that alter his future? How did this game work? Where was the line?

Teiko Kuroko lifted the cylinder tube wrapped with a red ribbon in his hand. He offered Kuroko a smile. “We graduated from Teiko. I’m on my way to visit Seirin. I know you can’t say much about the future, but I’d like to let you know that I’ve found the beginning to finding my answer. I want to show them my basketball. One day, I’ll get that fist bump from Aomine-kun so please watch over me.”

Kuroko felt recognition and comfort wash over him. It was as Akashi had said. Despite the miracles and Kuroko’s differing goals, Kuroko would certainly enter this so-called battle.

He also felt a sense of shame and guilt bubble up from within. To think that he was this close to abandoning his fight; he was so frustrated and full of despair that he had sought Time in hopes of rewinding and changing things, anything as long as he could get himself out of the hole he dug for himself.

“I have determination that I’ll find my answer with the help of Seirin.”

Kuroko watched his younger self walk away. He couldn’t just stand and say nothing so he ran across the road and shouted, “Do your best!”

Teiko Kuroko turned around and waved with a grateful smile before disappearing down the downward slope.

A gust of wind blew behind him, signaling Time’s arrival. He knew Time was standing close to him. He didn’t dare to look at it but he did dare to ask, “What would have happened if I decided to go back and not make a move?”

Time’s voice seemed to float right beside his ears, giving him tingly feelings. “Then you would’ve been mine. Give it some time and the human mind will lose itself in the past. You’d become senseless and exhausted in your wandering. You could’ve been mine, you poor thing.”

Kuroko nodded, plucking the cherry petal off his hair. He was so close to losing himself, that close to throwing away his basketball.

“I’ve decided to make no changes. My friends and family are waiting for me; Aomine-kun’s waiting for me.”

Sometimes he wished he hadn’t met Aomine, hadn’t practiced in the evenings with Aomine, because then he wouldn’t be fighting so hard with the aching in his chest. But what was life without dosages of pain? 

He’d find a way to incorporate it into his basketball, this pain that they’ve all endured. The one day where he’d see Aomine smile again would surely come again too. This was his answer.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. ogiwara + kuro conversation are lines from manga  
> 2\. did you know kuroko was supposed to die? originally he was gonna regress in time so :)  
> 3\. Teiko Kuroko swooped in and saved the day. fucking congrats kurokos.  
> 4\. happy aokr week  
> 5\. this whole 'high-pitch screech' thing is loosely tied with strange bird aokuro+akakuro fic. i finally connected the dots.  
> 


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